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Author Topic: sharp and not eaten away?  (Read 4619 times)

tterhart

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sharp and not eaten away?
« on: June 24, 2008, 01:39:06 pm »

my question is: how I get a shiny round object entirely sharp and
not eaten away blank.
I have small lite room and two flashl. which lens must I use...
In advance thanks
Thijs[attachment=7194:attachment][attachment=7194:attachment]
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Ken Bennett

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sharp and not eaten away?
« Reply #1 on: June 24, 2008, 08:30:56 pm »

Shiny stuff is hard to shoot. What you (and the camera) *see* is actually the reflection of the light source, not the object itself. So the light source needs to be much larger than the object, and placed in such a way that the camera sees the light source reflected in the object.

When you say you have a "small lite room" do you mean a light tent, like this? You can shoot your flash through the side or top panels.

Lens: very small objects usually require a macro lens, though you can sometimes use a moderate zoom lens with a "macro" capability. (Not true macro, but more of a close-focus ability; it occasionally works.) You'll want to use a small aperture, say around f/8 or f/11, or even smaller, to maximize depth of field and keep the whole object in focus.

Is this the sort of information you needed?
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tterhart

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sharp and not eaten away?
« Reply #2 on: June 25, 2008, 10:04:44 am »

This the information I need!
I indeed have a medium light tent.
 
And what is te best floor for shiny stuff...
Is a mirror an option or plane white?

Thank you!
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Ken Bennett

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sharp and not eaten away?
« Reply #3 on: June 25, 2008, 04:03:09 pm »

Quote
And what is te best floor for shiny stuff...
Is a mirror an option or plane white?

Thank you!
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A mirror is probably too much reflection. The floor becomes the background or backdrop of the object, and I usually prefer something that will contrast with the object. So I usually use a dark colored cloth of some sort. (I buy a couple of yards of the color I need at a local fabric store.)

When using a light tent, shoot your lights (strobes or incancesdents) through the fabric at whatever angle gives you the best reflection in the subject. It is very common to have the main light coming from above and behind the subject.

You will probably need to use small pieces of white paper or cardstock to add reflections under and in front of your subject, depending on exactly what you are shooting. You can look through the viewfinder of the camera and see the effect as you move the card in an out. Sometimes the card has to be right up against the object -- I shoot one frame with the card and one without, and composite them later in Photoshop.

Finally, note that I am hardly a small product photographer, and in fact hate working in the studio. So I'm not the best person to ask. But I am required to shoot this sort of thing on occasion, so I've had to learn some of this stuff.

Good luck.
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